I believe media-sound/xfi-drivers does not work for usb x-fi card. So is there a solution to use it as a system wide sound card with 5.1 sound?
What is the current procedure, if there is one for a usb x-fi surround 5.1?
I've read threads here for x-fi driver, but it does not cover the usb one. There are posts for ubuntu, but obviously I won't install ubuntu.
Actually the hardware volume knob and mute button do not work on the card, too. Alsamixer does not have any control for the card. I guess the snd_usb_audio module makes the card working somewhat.
And I hope I won't end up using pulseaudio. Any pointers?
Some info:

If I choose "ch51dup" stereo music is converted to 5.1 sound. If I choose " lowpass_21to21" also frequencies are adjusted which makes sound great on my logitech sound system. I don't know why this does not work in .mpdconf?
device "plug:upmix_20to51"_________________Anyway it's all the same at the end...
Need help to get it working: "x-fi surround 5.1"

Last edited by keenblade on Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:59 pm; edited 7 times in total

It can be improved - use your subwoofer and tweeters for their appropriate frequencies.

Thanks, PaulBredbury. I'll try to borrow your config to adjust frequencies. It is not easy to understand and apply it though.
Although, I have read many of your useful threads about sound, I should have missed that one._________________Anyway it's all the same at the end...
Need help to get it working: "x-fi surround 5.1"

I think .asoundrc file is very hard to manage and I confess I could not manage to apply high and low pass filters to my above config.
So, I will have to live with no frequency filtering unless somebody help me with it._________________Anyway it's all the same at the end...
Need help to get it working: "x-fi surround 5.1"

Last edited by keenblade on Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:18 pm; edited 2 times in total

Frequency filtering works now. Only I can't use volume adjustment within sound mixer (alsamixer or any other mixer.)
I need to understand how to relate softvol with ch51dup and lowpass_21to21?
Actually, lowpass_21to21 is using ch51dup and I have six output working. But how can I relate softvol and lowpass_21to21, so I can use them globally with a working volume mixer?_________________Anyway it's all the same at the end...
Need help to get it working: "x-fi surround 5.1"

The point of lowpass is that the low sounds go only to *one* speaker, the subwoofer.

You should be playing with all the speaker-test commands in my config, so you can get an understanding of how all the PCMs work individually and together.

I tried your speaker-test commands. Actually I used your config as a basis. I think I got it working finally globally.
Could you take a look at my config above? I updated it. If you look at "pcm.lowpass_21to21" it is using lowpass filter for sub, but it is also using high pass filters for left and right channels. The thing I can't understand what is happening with the rest of channels. Are the highpass filters are applied to center and rear speakers?_________________Anyway it's all the same at the end...
Need help to get it working: "x-fi surround 5.1"

Telling the music player to use lowpass_21to21 is wrong. It's just a processing stage! The music program should output to upmix_20to51. And if that doesn't work for you, test it with speaker-test and SHOW AN ERROR MESSAGE!